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Sony PlayStation 3 (80GB)

Posted on 20/08/2010

Newcomers to the world of gaming consoles may think that the Sony PlayStation 3 is just another similar gadget for playing games, but this sleek and unassuming machine can do far more than meets the eye. Of course, the best of games will be widely available for the PlayStation 3, but it also has the capability of playing Blu-ray discs, DVDs, and mp3s and can even connect to the internet.

This all-in-one entertainment centre has 80GB of storage space where you can store all your downloaded games, music and other media files. The Sony PlayStation 3 is easily the best value Blu-ray player out there, and with all these extra features is certainly a bargain.

This console can either stand upright or lie flat, so whatever way you have arranged your home theatre system it should be able to slot in nicely. The disc tray is also hidden inside the main body, making for a very compact and minimal look.

The front panel has two USB ports, which can be used for connecting all manner of external devices – including mp3 players, flash drives and a keyboard. Meanwhile, on the rear panel you will find an Ethernet connection, HDMI outputs, an optical audio output (SPDIF) and the standard AV output for connection to your television.

Of course, all of these inputs and outputs highlight the PlayStation 3’s versatility and it can easily be incorporated into any HD surround sound system you may be running. The console also comes with two Dualshock 3 Controllers, which have been updated on this version. Sony has decided to revert to the old style PlayStation game controller, but have added a few updates, such as more stable shock capabilities and wireless connection (the controllers are charged via the USB ports on the front panel).

Not only does the PlayStation 3 support a wide range of media files but also there are some appealing features that make it a great option for playing music or viewing photographs. Most music formats are supported, and files can be imported via a USB drive, memory card or even ripped from a CD to the internal hard drive.

This console also has a music visualiser tool, and for photos there is a nice range of slideshows to choose from. Photos can be loaded onto the console via the same methods used for music files and, all in all, this is probably the fastest way to get your pictures uploaded and on view.

And as well as supporting Blu-ray in high definition, the PlayStation 3 can play back MPEG-2 and MPEG-4/H.264 formats from external sources. Although the PlayStation 3 isn’t a solely-dedicated Blu-ray player, and is considerably less expensive than your average Blu-ray device, it can still offer picture quality of the highest standard. So there is no need to overspend on an expensive player, simply go for one that not only displays movies at the highest quality, but also lets you connect to the internet and play the best in available console games.

Submitted by #####, 15/04/09

Playstation 3

Summary

when i got it i was amazed, all my mates who where saying how crap a ps3 is and how i should get a Xbox but i've played on an xbox and its graphics are much better and the live on psn is actually not that bad. if you have the money get one of these not an xbox.

Which similar products have you used?

Playstation 2, Playstation 1, psp, xbox, xbox 360

What are the strengths?

it has an ausome blue ray player and dvd player blowing the xbox out of the water. and its graphics are imense and they put the xbox's to shame.

What are the weaknesses?

maybe a bit steep and the case is prone to smear marks but nothing you can't easily clean off